THE second round of the Alpine Bikes sponsored 2013 Innerduro Series took place on Saturday at Traquair Forest.
Organised by Innerleithen MTB Racing, the event, the second in a three-race series, was completely sold out weeks in advance as some of the best Enduro riders from across Europe descended on the Borders for this exciting style of mountain bike racing.
Riders followed a course to the top of the forest before riding two special timed stages over technical rooty and rocky terrain, with a climb back to the top between stages. Following a rest period as the sun set, riders then repeated the route in the dark (with the aid of lights). The cumulative time for the predominantly downhill stages would determine the winner.
Competition was expected to be fierce among the 170 or so riders, with World Enduro Series riders Joe Barnes and Katy Winton joined by previous Trans-Provence winner Dan Darwood, Elite World Cup downhiller Jack Reading and mountain bike legend Crawford Carrick-Anderson.
Following the mudfest of Round 1, the weather gods were kind to organisers and competitors, as clear blue skies and sunshine led to balmy conditions for practice and daylight racing.
It was warm enough for Barnes to ride the first stage topless following an incident with a tree.
Once darkness fell, the temperature also dropped, but stayed relatively mild for the time of year.
Innerleithen MTB Racings Duncan Nisbet said after the event: “The weather for this round was unbelievably good and the tracks were running extremely well.
“I’d like to thank all the riders, marshals and organisers for making the day a success and thanks also to our sponsors Alpine Bikes for supporting this local series.”
Results
Ladies: 1, Katy Winton; 2, Fiona Beattie; 3, Sophie Buckingham.
Juniors: 1, Lachlan Blair; 2, Drew Carters; 3, Stuart Wilcox.
Veterans: 1, Crawford Carrick-Anderson; 2, Justin Grice; 3, Simon Sharp.
Seniors: 1, Joe Barnes; 2, Jack Reading; 3, Alex Stock.
Round three is a standard Enduro on the weekend of March 30/31.
Visit www.innerleithen mtbracing.com for more information.